Scott Schell first dabbled in backcountry skiing back in high school; now he's the program director of the Northwest Avalanche Center. We sat down with him to gain some insight into safe sidecountry skiing tactics.

Since December 2006, expert local paddlers have gathered at Bowman Bay for the Deception Pass Dash, a six-mile route around Deception Island, through the Pass, around Strawberry Island, and through Canoe Pass. Why December?

The Patrol Race—a 20-odd-mile backcountry slog that climbs almost 5,000 vertical feet along the Pacific Crest Trail through the serrated peaks and deep drifts of the Cascade Range—is both brand new and (very) old news.